Reduction furnace



' July 21, 1942. c. J. wESrLlNG f 2,290,397

REDUCTION FURNAGE Filed Jan. 25, 1941 5 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTQR Wien/N6 45W Qn. M5@

'rfronn 1T mw@ kwi a July 21, 1942.. c. J. wEs'TLlNG 2,290,397

REDUCTION FURNACE Filed Jan. 25. 1941 s sheets-sheet 2 July 21, 1942. c. J. wr-:sTLlNG REDUCTION FURNAGE Filed Jan. 25, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 21,- 1942- C. J. WESTLING REDUcTloN FURN Filed Jan. 25, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 a m@ /za INVENTOR Patented' July 21, 1942 l Carl J. Westling, West Orange,

N. .1., assignor to Minerals and Metals Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application January 25, 1941, Serial No. 375,883

(Cl. 26S-24) 11 Claims.

This invention relates to furnaces for use in the reduction of ores or other metallic compounds, and particularly to furnaces designed for use in the reduction of nely divided ores or other metallic compounds at temperatures below the fusion temperatures of the metals to be recovered.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a reduction furnace in which the .parts are so constructed and arranged that direct and substantially complete reduction of finely divided ores or other metallic compounds may be carried but that this powder be supplied at a substantially constant temperature and that the temperature of the powder be substantially uniform throughout the mass. the present invention is to -provide a reduction furnace which 'ca-n be operated to meet` these conditions.

To this end the invention aims to provide a reduction furnace having sufficient capacity for on substantially continuously and on a commercial scale. More particularly the invention aims to provide a reduction furnace in which the novel processes of eiecting direct reduction of finely divided ores, such as finely divided iron ores, which are described and claimed in the co-pending applications of James C. Hartley, Serial No. 338,560, filed June 3, 1940, and of Herman A.

Brassert 'and James C. Hartley, Serial No. 360,`

418, filed October 9, 1940, commercial scale. k l

When practicing the novel processes of the applications hereinabove identified, in which reduction is effected at temperatures below the Effusion temperature of the ore constituents and, in the caseof iron ores, preferably Y at .temperatures above those at which pyrophoric iron is formed, care must, of course, be taken that marked variations in temperature shall not take place, particularly such variations asA might result in interference with the movements of the ore or other :mechanical functions of the apparatus. 'I'he may be practiced on a present invention aims, therefore, to provide a reduction furnace in which the desired physical conditions requisite to the successful practice of the processes of said copending applications may readily be obtained and maintained.

The invention aims further to provide a furnace construction in which interference with the operation which vmay come about from accidental causes may readily berectiiied and in which parts subject to wear or other deteriora- .tion can readily be repaired or replaced.

In practicing the process of producing primary solids from directly reduced ironpowder while still in .its nascent state, which forms the subject-matter of the application of Herman4 A. Brassert, Serial No. 369,053, filed December 7. 1940, 'it is important, where commercial production is desired and also uniform qualityof the product, not only that sufficient directly reduced iron powder be supplied from the reduction furnace to permit elcient operation of the process.

vheated condition and of supplying directly reduced finely divided viron powder in quantities suiiicient to permit the operation of apparatus for practicing the process of the application Serial No. 369,053, hereinabove identified, on a commercial scale and at the same time to deliver the said reduced finely divided iron .powder to the apparatus employed in practicing the process in the desired uniformly the desired uniformly reduced lquality.

An important feature of the invention is the novel hearth construction employed in the'furnace, this hearth being of the jet orifice type ofl the above-identified co-pending applications Serial No. 338,560 and Serial No. 360,418, but being made up of a plurality of removable sections whereby repair and maintenance of the hearth are facilitated. Another important feature of the invention is the construction and arrangement of the manifolds for supplying4 reducing gases to the jet orices of the hearth, having regard particularly to the removability of the hearth sections. Still another important feature of the invention is the provision of combustion flues so arranged in the furnace structure that the combustion of :fuel in said nues supplies some of heat for the reduction operation by conduction through the walls of said fl-ues and the provision of other nues, into which the jet orce manifolds project, through which the hot gaseous products of the combustion passl before bes ing discharged from the furnace, whereby eilective preheating of the reducing gases is eiected. Another important feature is the design and construction of the manifolds to'insure the desired heat exchange between the gaseous products of the combustion and the reducing gases.

Other important features of the invention are the arrangement of the hearths to effect deliv- An important object of `supports and guides" for tools which may occasionally be required to effect manipulation of the charge during operation of the furnace.

Still other objects and important features of the invention will appear from the following description and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a reduction furnace embodying the present invention, this section being taken generally on the line I-v-I of Figure 2, but showing the hearth broken away both in the upper right hand corner of the figure and also in the lower left hand corner in order to illustrate better the circulation of the air and gases;

Figure 2 is a section generally on theline 2-2 of Figure 1, the section shown in the left hand half of Figure 2 being also indicated by the section line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a section on the lines 3A-3A and 3B-3B of Figure 2, the left hand half of Figure 3 being a section on Ithe line 3A-3A of Figure 2 and the right hand half of Figure 3 being a section on the linefSB-lB of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, showing the arrangement .of the connecting-v4 pipes and valves for the reducing gas:

Figure 6 is a sectional detail, milar to Figure 3, showing a modification of the construction and arrangement of the combustion chambers;

Figure 'I is a plan detail of a portion of a hearth made upof metallic members, this figure illustrating the construction and arrangement of the individual members' which go to make up the removable sections of the hearth construction;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure '1;

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure '7;

Figure 10 is a section on the line ill- III of Figure 12, the hearth shown in Figure 12 being made up of refractory tiles;

Figure 11 is a section on the une of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a plan view of a hearth made up of' refractory tiles, this view illustrating particularly the method of and means for tying together the tiles which make up a removable hearth section;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of one of the individual tiles which go. to make up the removable hearth sections of the type shown in Figure 12.

s In the illustrative reduction furnace, which has particularly been designed to practice the novel processes of facilitating and controlling chemical reactions and physical treatments which are described and claimed in the U. S. application of James C. Hartley, Serial No. 338,560, filed June 3, 1940, and in the U. S. application of H. A. Brassert and James C. Hartley, Serial No.

360,418, filed October 9, 1940, the general purposel is to obtain and maintain the desired temperature conditions throughout the furnace, and particularly vin the reduction zone, with the most economical use both of the fuelfor producing the desired temperature conditions and of the reduc- .ing reagents themselves, to maintain the furnace in eective operative condition and also to provide for the convenient repair and replacement of parts subject to wear or deterioration. f

As herein illustrated. the vhearths 2 upon which thefinely divided ore 4, or other finely divided metallic compound, is supported while undergoing the reduction or other treatment, are located. in a commonreaction chamber '6, there being shown altogether in the illustrative embodiment six of these hearths 2 arranged in pairs, these hearths each extending substantially throughout the length of the reaction chamber 8.

The furnace as a whole is preferably formed of refractory material, such aspilre brick, and the reaction chamber 8 is provided with side walls 8 and an arched top wall I0 of refractory brick, preferably of a somewhat heat insulating type, theA lateral support of the arched top wall I0 being reinforced by horizontal channel bars I2 backed up by vertical channel bars I4, constituting, 'with the top channel bars I8 and bottom channel bars 18, a supporting frame for the entire furnace structure. Surrounding this refractory brick structure, of which the furnace as a whole consists, is preferably a layer of insulation 20 which may be of any suitable character, such, for example, as the magnesia or asbestos insulations now employed outside refractory brick furnace walls, the particular type of insulation depending upon the insulating character of the refractory brick of which the furnace walls themselves are composed. Surrounding the entire structure, for the purpose of reinforcing, conflning and protecting the insulating and refractory materials, is preferably a steel casing 22.

As above stated, in the illustrative embodiment of the invention, six reducing hearths 2 are shown, these hearths being arranged in pairs and the `pairs being separated by partition members 24 of refractory material, preferably having vertical sides. The reducing compartments thus defined between the vertical portions 28 of the side walls -8 `and the opposed vertical sides of the partition members u, and between Y4o the two partition members 24 themselves, are preferably lined with heat-resisting steel 28. The sections of heat-resisting st'eel 28 which cover the refractory partition members 24 are preferably integral extensions of the manifolds hereinafter to be described and each is formed with an upturned flange 30 to receive between it and the ange of the section 28 in the next compartment a rib 32 on .a tube 34 extending throughout the length of each of the partition members 24 for a purpose presently to be described.

As hereinabove pointed4 out, one of the important features of the present invention is to provide for the ready removal from the furnace for replacement, repair or cleaning of those parts which are subject to wear or abrasion or possible accumulations of foreign matter or to deterioration or destruction Vfrom continued exposure to high temperatures. To this end the hearth construction is made up of sections v48 arranged for ready removal and the reaction chamber 8 is provided with closures at its two ends for ready access thereto to permit such removal and to provide for cleaning of the reaction chamber and for such manual control ofthe operations as may occasionally be necessary. As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the side walls 8 do not extend over the two ends of the reaction chamber 8, these ends'fbeing, instead, closed by doors 38 and 38, movable vertically in guides and 42 with a bevelled gasket 48 of refractory material that engages 4a correspondingly bevelledrefracremoved to permit cleaning tory 48 so that as the door is moved into closed position it automatically effects a gas-'tight sealing of the closure. The doors 38 and 88 are preferably also of slightly trapezoidal or keystone outline so that the inclined side edges may seek a gas tight seat in packing 45 in the lowerparts of the guides 48 and 42. 'Ihe bottom edges of the doors 88 and 38 also come into gas tight engagement with packing 41 at the end of their downward travel.

As shown in Figures 1, 2and 3, the respective hearths 2 are Amade up of removable sections 48 each supplied with reducing gas by a manifold 58. Each of cthe manifolds 58 has therein a central partition member 52 which serves to divide it centrally into two manifolds each supplying a section of a pair of correspondingly located sections of one of the pairs of hearths 2.

As shown, the reducinggas manifolds, which are indicated generally by the reference numeral 58, are of the shape of an inverted frustum of a pyramid in their uppper portions, each tapering downwardly onall four sides from its hearthsupporting upper end to its junction witha part 54 thereof which continues the taper in one dimension but maintains its other dimension uniform and relatively narrow down to its connection with the supply pipe 55, so that the side faces of the lower part of each manifold 58 form like parallel trapezoids.. The part 54 of the manifold 58 is provided on its parallel faces with heat-absorbing ribs 58 to increase the absorption of heat from the hot combustion products which are employed to preheat the reducing gases.4 These ribs may'also extend as shown across the narrow inclined sides of the part 54.

'I'he manifolds 58 for' any group of six corre'- spondingly located removable hearth sections A48 acrossfthe lfurnace are themselves supplied with reducing'gas from a. cross manifold 58 which in turn is supplied Vfrom a longitudinal manifold 88.

As shown"' in Figure' 4 of the drawings, the connection between the supply pipe 55 and the lower part 54 of'themanifold 58is such as to permit the ready withdrawal of the manifold for replacement o`r repair or cleaning. This connection is shown as comprising a nipple exten-` sion 51 on the part 54 of the manifold 58. This 3 of the vertical supply pipe 55 and manifold 58.

Each of the manifolds 58 is supported in the furnace structure, as shown, by engagement of the horizontally turned part 80 of its side extension 28 with the top of the partition member 24. A shoulder 8l provided'at the junction of the extension 28 with the sidewall proper of the manifold 58 provides a supporting seat for the hearth section 48. The outer side-extensions 28 of the manifolds k5|) for the outside :pairs of hearths 2 are shown as attached by rivets or otherwise to flanges 88 on metal plates 81 set into the side walls 8. Each of the manifolds is bodily removable as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Refractory columns 82 and also the side walls of the main furnace structure have inclined surfaces 83 parallel and closely adjacent `lio-the side walls o f the upper parts oi'4 the-.manifoldsand these form also a part of the outer facesof .the walls of combustion chambers 84 located-*both in the columns v82 and in the side walls of thefurnace structure. Below the combustion chambers 84 are dues 86 for hot air. The iiues 88 have, at intervals, connections 88r with the combustion chambers 84 to supply air for combustion of fuel introduced into the chambers 84, the amount of air to be admitted to provide for the desired evennipple 51 approximately abuts the upper end of the supply pipe 55 within a collar` 58 surrounding the upper end of the supply pipe 55 and connected thereto, said collar 59 having a flange 8| to receive threaded studs 68, connected fo the lower part of the casing 22, so that the collar 58 may serve as the gland for compressing the packing 65 in a stuffing box 81 to insure a gas tight connection between the supply pipe 55 and the nipple 51. f

The connections between thej cross manifold 58 and the supply pipes 55k are such as to permit expansion of the connections without disturbing by a short pipe section 18 with T 8i.A may have its cap in the manner V valve blocks 80 in the combustion chambers 84 which are slidable over the floors of the combustion chambers to open or close more or less of the communicating openings 88. f

As shown in Figure 3, there are jfour combustion chambers 84 extending substantially throughout the length of the reduction furnace and fourcorresponding het a-ir flues. The gaseous or vaporized fuel :to be burned in the combustion chambers 84 is -introduced thereinto through burner openings82 in the right hand `end thereof, as shown in Figures l and 2, and

the hot air to supply the vnecessary oxygen for combustion is supplied to the longitudinal air ilues 88 by means of a cross ue84 having mani- A fold connections with the ylongitudinal ues 86, the cross flue 84 being in turn supplied with hot air under some pressure from anyv suitablefrair preheating apparatus such as a recuperator or a regenerator. The recuperator or the regenerator may in turn be heated or partly heated by the waste gases from the combustion chambers 8 4 after they have been utilized `to preheat the reducing gases or it may be heated by the gaseous products of the reduction operation or in any other suitable manner well known to the art. f As herein shown, and of .the drawings, 88 is introduced particularly in Figure' 3 the air from the hot' air flues into the combustion chambers action toinsure maximum transfer of the heat to the walls ofthe produced `by the combustion combustion chambers. Furthermore, as shown Vparticularly in Figure 2, the hot air ls not introduced into the combustion chamber 84 all at one point but is introduced at different points 88 alongthe length of"each lof the combustion chambers so that eventually complete combusto a second elbow 18 which in 1 AA capped extension nipple 1Q tion of the combustible constituents ofthe fuel is insured and more uniform distribution of the radiant and convection heat is eected.

As shown particularly 'in Figure 3, the lower at one ,side of the center thereof or near .one

ribbed ends of the manifolds 50 and a large part of the connecting pipes 54, with their heatabsorbing ribs 66, are located in iiues 96 ywhich are located between -the combustion chambers 84 and into which the products of the combustion in the chamers 84 are discharged at the left hand ends of said chambers 64, as shown in Figure 2. These hot products of combustion, after discharge from the combustion chambers 64 traverse the entire lengths of the flues 96 in constant heat-transfer relation to the parts 60, 54 and 56, located therein, until they are discharged into the waste flue 90 at the right hand end of the furnace structure, as shown in` Figure 2 of the drawings, from which waste flue 66 they may enter a recuperator, regenerator or stack, as desired.

The finely divided ore 66 or other finely divided metallic compound to be reduced or otherwise treated upon the hearths 2 is charged upon the hear-ths 2 through chutes |00 connected with a hopper |02 or other source of ore supply in any suitable manner. The ore, after being reduced or treated upon the hearths 2, is discharged into a common discharge chute |04 in a manner hereinafter to be more fully set forth.A

As hereinabove pointed out, each of the hearths 2 is made up of removable sections 49 each supplied with reducing gases by its half of one of the manifolds 50.- The removable hearth sections 49 are in turn each made up of a plurality of individual members or tiles so fastened together as to form a unitary removable hearth section while at the same time providing the desired jet apertures in the hearth for the reducing gases.

Two forms of hearth construction are shown in Figures '1 to 13 inclusive. In Figures 7, 8 and 9 is shown a hearth construction in which the individual members that go to make up the removable hearth section are formed of some heat-resisting metal alloy such as a 25-20 chrome-nickel-steel alloy.

In the form of hearth construction shown in Figures '7 to 9 inclusive, cross members |06 of the chrome-nickel-steel, or other suitable heatresisting alloy, are formed with a main wall or partition portion having at its ends tongues |06 arranged to fit into corresponding slots ||6 in side bars ||2. The upper edges of the members |06 are bent over to form lips ||4 which together form the ore-supporting surface of the hearth. -.At their left hand or free edges, as shown in Figure 9, the lips ||4 are bevelled as at H6 so that when the bevelled edge of one lip is brought into juxtaposition to the rounded shoulder ||0 formed by the bend producing lip of an adjacent member, and slightly spaced therefrom, a suitable jet opening is provided between the succeeding members |66, the larger space below the jet openings |20 between the main wall portions of the members |06 providing for ready passage of the reducing gases to y the relatively short passage constituting the jet opening |20. Since the hearth sections. are preferably of substantial width, for example 8% inches, so that a jet orifice extending from one A side of a hearth section to another might be 8 inches long, it is preferable, to avoid a warping that might cause variation in the widths of the jet orifices, to reinforce the structure midway between the two sides. To this end each of the members |06 is provided with a notch |22, preferably extending to the upper surface of the lip ||4, in which a spacing bar |24 may be located to insure maintenance of the proper dimensions that the hearth section, made up of the members |06, may be assembled by inserting the tongues |06 in the slots ||0 provided in the side bars ||2 and by locating the reinforcing bar |24 in the notches |22 of the members |06 and then welding all of the parts together to hold them in their definite relations to each other.

In the form of hearth section shown in Figures 10 to 13 inclusive, molded refractory tiles are employed instead of the metal alloy members. As shown particularly in Figure 13 of the drawings, each of these tiles is molded with a wall or partition portion |26, spacing and reinforcing ribs |26, interlocking tongues |60 and notches |32, and an upper lip |34 which forms ltheore-supporting hearth surface. This lip |34, like the corresponding lip I4 of the metal alloy member has a bevelled edge |36 which is shown as spaced slightly behind ribs |26 and slightly behind the end spacers or side members |38 so that when it is thus brought into approximate juxtaposition to the shoulder |40, when the tiles are brought into interlocking relation to each other, a jet orifice |42 will be provided between the successive tiles |26.

Each of the tiles |26 has in its upper and lower edges at each end a notch |41 to receive a tie wire |44 by which a series of tiles may be tied together to form -a hearth section. It will be seen that the arrangement of the tongues |66 and thev notches |32 is such that when a series of tiles 'is tied together by the wires |44 as shown in Figure 12, the tiles are held both against displacement lengthwise with respect to each other and also against displacement vertically with respect to each other, the -latter |46 of the wire |44 when the section is assembled,

a special end tile may be provided having therein a recess |46 and not having a tongue |66. This will permit adjacent sections 49 of the hearth to be brought into close'abutting relation to each other. This special end tile should preferably be of metal, such as chrome nickel steel, to prevent injury from'the tie wires |44.

Each'of the pairs of hearths 2 has at its discharge end adam or Weir |60 of a height to maintain the desired vdepth of ore upon the hearth and the reduced ore or powdered metal resulting from the deduction operation is discharged over the top of the dam or weir into a common discharge chute |52. In order to avoid the necessity for a wide hopperlike upper ,end of the common chute |62 for the three pairs of hearths 2, the outside pairs of hearths 2 may be provided each with anextra section arranged to carry the reduced ore toward the point of discharge of the middle pair of hearths 2.

As shown in Figure 2 of the drawingsl the mid` dle pair of hearths 2 is provided with seven manifolds 56, each manifold being divided into two parts at its upper end to supply reducing gases to two hearth sections arranged side by side.

'plurality of smaller manifold passages by-transare likewise verse partition members |53, thereby providing for distribution of the reducing gases' to each of a plurality of smaller groups of jet orices.

'I'heoutside pairs of hearths 2 will each be provided with eight of the manifolds 58 and will be made up of eight pairs of hearth sections 49 arranged above the said manifolds 58. As shown in Figure 2, the end manifolds 58 at the discharge ends of the outside pairs of-hearths 2 are arranged at right angles to the position of the other manifolds 58 of said outside hearths and the eighthor en d pairs of hearth sections 48 arranged at right angles to the other hearth sections of said outside hearths so as to deliver the reduced ore into the chute |52 near the same point at which delivery into the chute |52 is eilected by the middle pair of hearths 2. The end sections of outside pairs of hearths 2 are, however, preferably inclined somewhat, as shown, toward their points of discharge to provide for more rapid movement of the ore over the additional hearth sections.

The tubes 3s, hereinabove referred to, extend not only throughout the lengths of the partition members 24; but also outside the furnace so that they may serve as supports and guides Tor tools such as rakes or rabbles for use in effecting such manual or mechanical manipulation of the ore charge as may at times become necessary, these tubes being kept cooled sulciently to prevent injury thereto by the heat and gases by y circulating water therethrough in any suitable manner. A shelf or ledge |54 is preferably pro-l vided outside each of the doors 36 and 38,

In the modication of the combustion chamber construction shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, provision is made for bringing lthe heat ,of the combustion taking place in. the chambers nearer to the compartments formed between the partition members 24 and between said members and the side walls, where it is found to be desirable to have more immediate conduction of heat to the ore charge upon the hearths 2. As shown in Figure 6, each of the combustion chambers 84 is provided with an upward extension |56 into the partition members 24 and also with a corresponding upward extension I 56 into the parts of the side walls which are adjacent to the compartments in which the ore is reduced.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a compact, durable and easily repairable reduction furnace construction has been provided in which the desired physical conditions for the reduction operations can be obtained andfmaintained and which has capacity for producing and delivering in condition for immediate use commercial quantities of powdered metal. y

In operation, the furnace doors 36 and 38 havingvbeen closed, the furnace will preferably be heated up to a temperature approximating-the temperature at which the reduction takes place before any ore is charged 'upon the hearths l2.

-This preheating can be broughtabout by burning a fuel, such as gas, in the combustion chambers 84, the gas being introduced through the burner openings 92 and the air being introduced into the combustion chambers 84 from the ues 86 through the air' inlets 88 and being preferably preheated. Additional heat may be supplied to the reduction chamber 6 by blowing hot air through the manifolds 58, this air also picking up some of theheat from the combustion gases as they pass over the ribs 56 on the parts 54 of the manifolds 58.

The reaction chamber 6 and the heart-hs 2 2 through the chutes |88. This ore may be pre-' heated in any suitablevmanner but need not necessarily be preheated -i f sumcient length of hearth is provided.

As the ore is charged upon the right hand end of each of the hearths 2, the reduction gases forced through the orifices ||8 or |42, according as a metallic or-a refractory hearth is employed,

As herein shown, the orifices |I8 or |48 are preferably so directed that they also tend to effect a movement ofthe particles of ore toward the discharge ends of the hearths.

As hereinabove pointed out, the reduction pass up through the ribbed narrow f, sections 54 ofthe manifolds 58 gases as they become thorough'- ly heated by the products ofthe .combustion which takes placein the combustion chambers 84 so that they assist in raising the ore 4 upon the hearths 2 to the proper reaction temperature.

Furthermore, thecombustion which is taking place in the combustion chambers A84 keeps the whole furnace structure in the region' 'of the hearths at the desired`reaction temperature, both radiant heat of the combustion and convection i heat being ltaken ult-.to a considerablefextentby the walls of the combustion chamber 84 andv conducted through these walls to the parts adjacent thereto. 4

It will further be noted that by reason -of the hopper-like construction of the manifolds 58 any ore nes or other dust that may enter the hoppers 58, as, for example, by dropping through the slots in the hearth, will be directed into the supply pipes 55 and on into the extension nipples 19 which are in axial alignment with the pipes 55, these nipples constituting dust traps having their bottoms constituted by removable caps. It will also be noted that the gas What is claimed as new is:

1. A reduction furnace comprising, in combination,refractory walls defining a reaction chamber having an access opening, a closure for said each provided with a manifolds for the the finely dividedy 'into which the individual sections for supplying'reducing gases to the jet orifices thereof'.

2. A reduction furnace according to claim 1 in which the hearth section manifolds are also bodily removable individually through said access opening.

3. A reduction furnace according to claim 1 in which'the reaction chamber is elongated to provide for a hearth relatively long in proportion to its width and is provided with an accesa opening and a closure therefor at each end.

4. A reduction furnace according to claim l in which the wall structure denning the reaction chamber comprises walls for laterally confining upon the hearth to a substantial depth the finely divided ore to be reduced and in which combustion chambers are yprovided in the aforementioned ore confining walls to impart heat thereto. 5. A reduction furnace according to claim 1 in which refractory walls also define a flue beneath and extending lengthwise. of the hearth manifolds for the hearth sections proj ect, provision being also made for directing hot gaseous products of combustion through said iiue to eiiect preheating. of the reduction gases in said manifolds.

6. A reduction furnace according to claim 1 in which the manifold for a hearth section tapers gradually from a dimension which is coextensive with the length of a removable hearth section of substantial length to a dimensiong which corresponds to an ordinary pipe size and is provided on the trapezoidal sides thus formed with heatabsorbing ribs.

'1. A reduction furnace according in claim l in which thehearth section manifold comprises between the narrow portion and the hearth secy tion.

8. A reductionl furnace according to claim 1 in which water-cooled guides are supported on the lateralhearth confining walls in position to guide the movements of ore manipulating tools over the hearths.

- in which the manifolds for the 9. A reduction furnace according to claim 1 respective removable hearth sections are each divided in the greater hearth-serving dimension to direct the reducing gases to a pair of removable hearth sections arranged side by side and are further divided transversely to direct the reducing gases to smaller groups of jet oriiices in each removable hearth -section.

10. A reduction furnace according to claim 1 in which three separate hearth compartments are arranged side by side and in which the hearths in the lateral compartments have at their ends transversely extending sections delivering the reduced ore to substantially the point of discharge of the intermediate hearth.

A11. A reduction .furnace according to claim 1' in which hopper-like manifolds haveA tubulargasl connectionsy thereto andx are each provided in said connections with a ldust trap arranged vertically beneath the hopper and below the gas intake to receive dust and ore particles falling through said hopper, the bottom of said dusttrap being constituted by a removable closure.

vCARL J. 

